If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:

 

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:

• Internet access (fees may apply)

• Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware

• For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required

• Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware

• HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7

• DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive

• BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2

• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive

• Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on

• Music and sound require audio output

Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require advanced or additional hardware.

 

  

If you’ve gone PC shopping lately, you’ve probably noticed more computers with 64-bit processors, and you may have wondered what advantages they offer.

Put simply, a 64-bit PC can handle larger amounts of information than a 32-bit system. Since it can use more RAM—4 GB and up—a 64-bit computer can be more responsive when you're running lots of programs at once.

Which should you buy? If you tend to have a lot of programs open simultaneously or need to switch frequently between programs—or if you just want to be sure your PC can take advantage of the larger amounts of memory available today—64-bit is a great choice. If you run only one or two programs at a time or have older hardware and software that isn't supported by a 64-bit PC, a 32-bit system is a good choice.

Whether you choose the 32-bit or the 64-bit system, Windows 7 is ready.

 

Watch, pause, and record live TV. Listen to your tunes. Show off your photo collection. Enjoy online entertainment. And do it all from your living-room couch. Is it any wonder critics call Media Center the hidden gem of Windows?

In Windows 7, we've made it even better—adding great new features (many suggested by you) and visual touch-ups. Windows Media Center is available in the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7.

More watching...

Windows Media Center supports more global TV standards and tuners, including digital and HD. It also now plays more popular audio and video formats—including 3GP, AAC, AVCHD, DivX, MOV, and Xvid.

...less waiting

Tired of trudging through TV listings or a massive music library? Zip to songs and shows more quickly using the new Turbo Scroll feature.

Stunning new slide shows

Make elegant photo collages (with background music) using the new slide show maker—perfect for parties or family get-togethers. And check out the updated slide show screen saver—its stunning visuals defy words.

Easier media sharing

Enjoy recorded TV shows, music, video—even when it's not stored on your PC. The new HomeGroup feature makes media available to any PC with Windows 7 in the house.

New gadget, bigger previews

A new Media Center gadget. Quick video skimming. More song and show details. Bigger, easier-to-see preview thumbnails. The improvements go on and on.

 

  

Move over mouse: With Windows 7 and a touch-sensitive screen, you can browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums, and shuffle files and folders—using nothing but your fingers.

Limited touch technology has been available in Windows for years. But Windows 7 extends it to every corner of your PC. The Start menu and taskbar now sport larger, fingertip-friendly icons. Familiar Windows 7 programs are also touch-ready. You can even finger paint in Paint!

Windows Touch—available only in the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7—also recognizes multitouch gestures (with the right monitor). Need to zoom in on a picture? Pinch your fingers together. Want to right-click on something? Touch it with one finger and tap the screen with a second on the screen.

 

HomeGroup takes the headache out of sharing files and printers on a home network. Connect two or more PCs running Windows 7, and HomeGroup makes it easy to automatically start sharing your music, pictures, video, and document libraries with others in your home. The new “Share with” menu, meanwhile, provides a speedy way to share individual files.

Concerned about privacy? So are we. That’s why HomeGroup is password-protected and puts you in total control. You decide what gets shared—and what stays private. You can also make your files "read only," so other people can look at (but not touch) your stuff.

You can join a homegroup in any edition of Windows 7, but you can only create one in Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate.

  

How can you help protect your data from loss, theft, or hackers? The answer: BitLocker.

Improved for Windows 7 and available in the Ultimate edition, BitLocker helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by encrypting the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on. Once BitLocker is turned on, any file you save on that drive is encrypted automatically.

BitLocker To Go—a new feature of Windows 7—gives the lockdown treatment to easily-misplaced portable storage devices like USB flash drives and external hard drives.

 

 

It's the best of both worlds: The new Windows XP Mode lets you run older Windows XP business software right on your Windows 7 desktop.

The feature, designed primarily with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, comes as a separate download and works only with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate. Windows XP Mode also requires virtualization software such as Windows Virtual PC. Both are available free on the Microsoft website.

To download Windows XP Mode or learn about its system requirements, visit the Windows Virtual PC website.

 

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